I love Valentine's Day... It is cute and fun and sweet. This is the third year that I have sold Valentine Treat Bag Toppers in my Etsy Shop. I always get excited about designing these.

I start with an idea, draw it with a light sketch in pencil, then fill in with pen, and my Copic Markers. I scan the drawings in and upload them to my computer. Then I do a little work on the computer to make them into adorable Valentines. These are perfect for you or your children to exchange with friends.

The only hard part for you is deciding what are you going to stuff in the bags. So many choices.

There is the obvious choice of candy..... Store aisles are full of different Valentine themed candy right now. From pink, red, and white candy corn, to special colors of M&M's and Hershey Kisses, you can't miss with candy.

Other fun choices are homemade or store bought cookies, rice krispey treats, juice boxes..... really just about any treat that you or your child enjoys.

​But there are so many other options beyond the obvious.

Kids are probably going to get a lot of candy that day at school, so some non sugary options could be pretzels, popcorn, dried fruit, a granola bar. If these can be refrigerated and then given out right away, a cheese stick would be a good option for stuffing. There are several fun, and healthier options. Besides, how cute would this bunny bag looked stuffed with baby carrots? Seriously!

Non food choices are also a great idea. Stickers, bracelets, erasers, temporary tattoos, puzzle sheets with a small pencil, a small coloring sheet with a few crayons. Depending on the age of the children receiving these, there are many options for the treat bags, that do not include food.

I really don't know who would not want to receive a bag of cupid poop.... for reals. This is cute! I stuffed the ones you see in the picture with a red-rageous variety of Mike and Ike's. Other great options are chocolate chips, Hot Tamales, Red Hots, black jelly beans, or red, pink, and white jelly beans... One year when my daughters took Cupid Poop to school we used pink, heart shaped marshmallows. Adorable.

The idea is to use something that can pass for cupid poop. I would not just stuff these with any snack or candy item. The funny part is that you are insinuating that whatever is in this bag is in fact cupid poop.

No matter what you decide to stuff in them, it will be fun. All of these treat topper bags (as well as several other fun designs) can be found in my shop. You have two different options for purchasing.

One option is a printable file. You purchase the file, and can print off as many as you need for your own personal use. You will print the design on cardstock, cut them out, fold them in half, stuff snack size (or if you want to have a bigger bag you can use sandwich size bags), and then attach the topper with either double sided tape, or a stapler. Using a stapler is much faster, simpler, and cheaper, but double sided tape looks a bit cleaner. I used double sided tape in all the photos that you see, but when my kids take theirs to school.... they are attached with a stapler.

If you are thinking, "I do not have time to print, cut, and fold 45 valentines for all my child's classmates!" No problem. You also have the option of purchasing valentine treat bag topper sets. I print, cut, and fold them for you. They will be shipped to you with the needed snack size bags. You simply have to stuff them (or better yet, have your kids stuff them), and attach the tops to the bags.

Then all you do is send them with your kids to school, or take them to work, and wait for all the oohhs and aaahhhs and compliments. Seriously, people will love these.

I get asked all the time about starting an Etsy Shop. There is a lot to consider when you start one...Product - What will you sell?Pricing - How much do I sell this for?SEO and advertising - How will people find my product?Etc......I will write more posts in the future going over some of those topics, but today I wanted to share a little knowledge on product photography. When I first started listing items in my shop, photography was my biggest struggle. I remember breaking down in a fit of crying frustration because I just couldn't get it right.I am far from mastering it, but will share a few tips I have picked up along the way.1. You do not need an expensive camera. I am not saying that an expensive camera wouldn't be amazing.....because It would be! That is something that I absolutely will invest in someday. But in the meantime I take photos using my iPhone. Before I had an iPhone I used a 5.1 megapixel point and shoot. The best thing you can do is get familiar with whatever you have for taking photos, and get good at taking photos with it. Not just product pics. Play with your device, and learn how to take good photos on it. 2. Do not use flash. When I search for something on Etsy I can quickly spot photos that have used flash. They look washed out, and cold, and unprofessional. You want warm, natural light. Most of my photos are taken either on my kitchen counter, or on my workroom table. You do have to be patient for the right lighting. I was taking photos today and the first 20 minutes or so the photos were looking great. Unfortunately the sun moves and the lighting changed, and I am not happy with how the photos towards the end of my shoot turned out. The earrings that I did not get a decent photo of will be set aside, and I will try tomorrow or the next day.

3. Play with backgrounds. When I started out everyone in the forums said that white backgrounds were best. If you have not checked out the Etsy Forums you should. They are a wealth of information, especially when starting out. However, you have to take the information you get, and make your own decision. I have been playing with different colors and patterns for backgrounds and really like the results. My shop has a fun, colorful vibe though. I do see shops with gorgeous photos that use a white background. It gives their shop a nice minimalist, modern feel. Play with backgrounds, and decide what works for you. You can also play with adding props to your photo.

4. Edit your photos. I use an app on my phone called Afterlight. Do not use the filters. You want your photo to look like the item. Especially when people cannot see the item in person, it is so important that your photos accurately represent what they will be receiving in the mail. I adjust the brightness, exposure, saturation, contrast, and temperature. I almost always crop all the photos to a square. This makes them easy to share on Instagram or be used as the thumbnail for your listing.

Hope this helps with your own product photography. As I said earlier in the post, my photos are far from perfect, but way better than when I started. Feel free to ask any question in the comments below.

If it wasn't so much work, I would repaint the rooms in my house a couple times a year. I really can't count how many different times I have rearrange the furniture in my bedroom and living room. My hair has been several colors, and I have had everything from a pixie cut, to just plain, long hippie hair as my husband calls it. I love moving. I love the idea of living somewhere for 6-9 months, experiencing it, then moving on to the next place. That would be a dream!